Issue 12, VOL. CIV

The Student Newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College

Red & Black

Page 2 Study Abroad

VOL. CIV ... NO. XII

Thursday, December 06, 2012

Washington, Penna.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ESTABLISHED 1909

W&J Lights Up the Holiday Season

W&J Ranks High in Number of Students Who Spend Time Abroad.

Page 7 Robotic Reluctance Could New Developments Make Artificial Intelligence Capable of Replacing Humans?

Page 11 Media Students Comment on Recent Movie Releases and Television Finales

Page 15 Hostess Ho-Hum Are Twinkies a Thing of The Past?

Page 19 Athlete Election Which W&J President Would Make A Good President?

Keep up to date with the Red&Black! Scan this QR Code with your smartphone to visit out Facebook page! Or follow us on twitter @rednblackWJ

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER

On Monday, Dec. 3, the W&J community began their celebration of the season with their annual Holiday Light-Up Night. The event consisted of activities sponsored and run by various campus clubs, as well as an ugly sweater contest, Gingerbread construction and speeches by various community leaders.

Saturday, 12/08 High: 60°, Low: 51°

Sunday, 12/09 High: 59°, Low: 50°

Monday, 12/10 High: 59°, Low: 43°

SEE Campus, SECTION PAGE 5

INDEX:

FIVE DAY FORECAST

Friday, 12/07 High: 52°, Low: 51°

Jacqueline Radin/Red&Black

Tuesday, 12/11 High: 51°, Low: 34°

Campus-News ..... 1-5 Life ......................... 6-9 Arts .................... 10-13 Op-Ed ............... 14-17 Sports ................ 18-20

2 CAMPUS NEWS

Red & Black

Chinese Club Hosts Tai Chi Event

06 D ecember 2012

Studying Abroad at W&J

Morgan Mattingly Red&Black Staff

Michael Nemchick Red&Black Staff

Friday, Nov. 16 marked an exciting learning opportunity for students of the Chinese Club able to attend Dorothy Tecklenburg’s lesson in the Chinese art of Tai Chi. Tecklenburg used her unique experiences from living in China for over five years and studying under the great Tai Chi masters of the Beijing Sports University in China to teach W&J students a few of the moves and explain a bit about the origin.

Ting Wong, ’15 and secretary of Chinese club, stated, “It was really cool and an eye opening experience because she began with the background—like how people lived longer and let martial artists hide Kung Fu.” Tai Chi has many forms or styles, and several competing origin tales.

One of the theories is that Tai Chi originated as a hidden form of Kung Fu to hide the fast movements.

Others say it was developed for the health benefits of relaxation and slow movements focusing on the balance of energy, yin and yang.

Regardless of the history, in recent years, Tai Chi has been shown to have enormous health benefits.

Studies have shown that it increases the longevity of life.

As unique as the lesson was, this was not Tecklenburg’s first visit to Washington &Jefferson.

In the past, she has come and to help teach students how western and Asian culture contrast and (occasionally) compare. Last year, she even taught students the dragon dance, which is a dance

Chinese club, are devoted to the furthering the abilities of students who have taken the Chinese language courses.

The majority of their meetings involve practicing speaking the language, but occasionally they will bring in an exciting guest like Tecklenburg to teach them about Chinese culture. For students like Wong, these events are extremely valuable to life in general: “She left the students with one important life lesson, relaxation is the key to strength and not tension.”

In the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange for the 2010-2011 school year, Washington & Jefferson college ranks 24th in the nation among undergraduate institutions.

The statistic is determined by the percentage of the total student body who participated in some form of study abroad or exchange program for academic credit.

In Washington & Jefferson this includes doing an exchange with another international university or participating in an intercession trip. Any international experience that awards college credit is considered in this report.

According to the report, W&J had an estimated 68.2% of undergraduate involvement for the previous academic year.

However, also according to the report, there were only 234 students who participated in a study abroad experience. The percentage is determined by dividing the amount of study abroad students by the number of graduating students from the same year.

So 68.2% is not the exact percentage of the entire student body but more of a rough statistic.

The majority amount of participation at W&J comes from those who participate in intercession class trips to countries all around the world.

There classes last anywhere from 2-4 weeks and can range in subjects from studying the chemistry of perfumes in France, the economics of Eastern Europe, or culture in China. For students unable to commit the time or resources to studying abroad for a full semester, intercession trips

C ontac t

O n -C ampus O rganizations

Courtesy Morgan Mattingly

Above, students learn some of the basic movements in Tai Chi, a form of martial arts, in an event hosted by the Chinese Club. The students were instructed by Dorothy Tecklenburg, an accomplished student of this form. Tai Chi incorporates slow and fluid movements that greatly contribute to the health and agility of those who practice it.

performed beneath a lengthy dragon puppet—often associated with the Chinese New Year celebration.

Chinese Club was thrilled to host Tecklenburg because each time she comes, she brings fresh and creative activities and intriguing information to help students learn more about the ancient culture of China.

She has volunteered numerous hours educating the members of the club about the wonders of Chinese culture. Her hosts, the

A dver tising P olic y The Red & Black encourages display advertising from local area businesses.

Rates are $5.00 per column inch for local companies, $10.00 for national companies.

Pre-payment is required and is accepted through any method, though checks are strongly preferred. Standard sizes are available, as are custom sizes.

Advertising space must be booked and artwork received at least one week prior to publication date. The Red & Black reserves the right to refuse any advertising.

Companies who advertise with the Red & Black are not necessarily endorsed by the publication or its staff, or Washington & Jefferson College or its administration.

Telephone: FAX: E-mail:

(724) 223-6049 (724) 503-1049 redandblackstaff@ jay.washjeff.edu

Business Manager:

beckkm@jay.washjeff.edu

Mailing Address:

Red & Black 60 S.Lincoln St. Washington, PA 15301

Student organizations and administrative departments at Washington & Jefferson College are welcome to discounted advertising. Ads must be received at least one week prior to publication, preferred in hard copy or via e-mail as a .jpeg or .tiff file only. Some ads may be refused or denied due to space constraints, timeliness, etc.

are a convenient, if somewhat pricey, alternative. For example, a few weeks trip to Japan this year for intercession is $4,500 dollars.

If students are willing to travel by themselves, although they will not receive college credit, independent trips can be organized for much cheaper.

However, they will not be able to experience the same range of experiences available on intercession trips. Studying abroad for a semester can sometimes be a cheaper or at least an equally costly alternative than intercession trips, as student will pay the same W&J tuition they are already paying to attend a school in another country.

Participating students must only pay out of pocket for transportation, food, travel, and any other extras in addition to the tuition already being charged.

The cost benefit of these trips is more effective if a student has the time to partake in a full semester abroad.

Sara Joseph, W&J’s Assistant Director of Global Education, states that “Study abroad can truly be a life-changing experience, so it’s exciting to help W&J students fulfill their dreams of studying overseas and to be of support to them throughout that process.”

For those interested in study abroad Sara Joseph or Traci Fruehauf, the Director of Global Education at W&J, are happy to answer any questions.

Their offices are located on the bottom floor of the Burnett Center or they can be reached through e-mail.

Application are currently closed for the 2013 spring semester, however preparations can be made for next fall or the spring of 2014

The Red & Black is the official, registered, student-produced newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Penna. It is published Thursdays with the exception of exams and break periods. Production run is 1250 copies, both on and off campus. Published by the Observer Publishing Company.

06 D ecember 2012

Organic Compounds Found on Mars Thomas Marcotte Red&Black Staff

This past week, NASA’s Curiosity Rover currently patrolling the surface of Mars detected traces of complex organic chemicals in the soil of a crater, lending more credence to the theory that Mars may once have supported life on its surface.

While the discovery of this compound, called perchlorate, does not prove the existence of life on Mars at one time, and in fact is a common ingredient in rocket fuel here on Earth, scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory believe that it may once have been a by-product of organic processes of hardy bacteria.

Curiosity landed on Mars on August 8, and since then has been investigating a promising site for forensic evidence of possible ancient life, called Gale Crater. Since then, Curiosity has been using its onboard suite of instruments to perform various tests on samples of Martian soil from Gale Crater and a nearby area called Rocknest to search for complex organic chemicals, calling-cards that the environment once supported life.

The rover’s onboard Samples at Mars lab, or SAM, was able to cook the gathered soil samples in

3 CAMPUS NEWS

Red & Black

S e c u r i t y Lo g S compiled by Mike Nemchick/ Red&Black

11/28/12 Fire Alarm

While walking next to a dorm, an officer heard a fire alarm that was activated. Students exiting the dorm stated that burnt popcorn caused the alarm. The officer followed the smoke to a dorm room. Students in the dorm stated that they burnt popcorn using a microwave located in their room. The microwave was not a college microwave.

The fire department arrived and reset the alarm.

Courtesy tntmagazine.com

Above is a photograph of the dirt sample that the organic compounds were found in. The Curiosity has been on the surface of Mars for several months, searching for just the sort of findings that were just released.

a mini-oven and analyze the gases given off by the sample to determine what elements made it up.

Earlier this week, NASA’s mission control received a transmission from Curiosity indicating that it had found samples of perchlorate, a complicated organic chemical that usually indicates the presence of life.

However, it is important to note that the Curiosity team were and are still unsure about the exact origins of the sample.

It could be either a genuine compound from the Martian soil, or the perchlorate could have been brought to Mars by the rover itself as contamination. The team delayed the announcement of the

discovery for a full week beforehand until they were reasonably sure what they were working with, referring to it in the press only as “one for the history books”.

They themselves are still unsure about the exact nature of the sample obtained, but if the perchlorate does turn out to be Martian, it could revolutionize our understanding of Mars’ prehistory.

This new set of findings comes on the heels of a different NASA release: recently NASA discovered a significant amount of ice on the surface of Mercury.

The discovery of solid water on Mercury is surprising, given that it is the closest planet to the Sun.

11/30/12 Alcohol Complaint

While on patrol, an officer observed a student taking a keg system into a dorm building. The officer asked if there was a keg in the system, the student replied that it was just a refrigerator. The officer was able to indicate a keg was inside by the weight of the system. The student stated that security did not have permission to look inside the system. Security advised that the keg would not be going with the student. Security took the keg and the student stated that this was costing them money. The student was advised to come to the security office on Monday.

12/2/12 Alcohol Complaint

On the above date there was a report of an intoxicated person at a visitor’s parking lot. When officers arrived, they found the intoxicated student being helped by other students. The student was passed out and would not wake up. An ambulance was called, and the student woke up upon its arrival. Medics transported the student to the Washington hospital.

Newly Discovered Gene Can Predict a Person’s Time of Death Jake Meyers Red&Black Staff

Ones genes can tell you a lot about oneself.

By looking at ones genes, one can determine your hair color, blood type and even susceptibility to certain diseases.

Researchers just discovered that genes can now predict your time of death too.

While studying circadian rhythm, or one’s biological clock, scientists discovered a noteworthy gene variant that makes the

unnerving prediction of the time of day someone will die.

The gene also can determine the characteristics of one’s circadian rhythm, such as their chances of being a morning person or not, but much of the surprise focusses on the death prediction.

Researchers describe the prediction as ‘unsettling’ in regards to its accuracy.

The gene produces three possible combinations of nucleotides (the molecular building blocks of DNA): adenine-adenine (A-A), adenine-guanine (A-G) and guanine-guanine (G-G), according

to a written statement released by Harvard Medical School.

“This particular genotype affects the sleep-wake pattern of virtually everyone walking around,” Dr. Clifford Saper, chief of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, wrote in the statement.

“And it is a fairly profound effect so that the people who have the A-A genotype wake up about an hour earlier than the people who have the G-G genotype, and the A-Gs wake up almost exactly in the middle.” Towards the conclusion of the study, investigators

began to realize that these nucleotide sequences were accurate predictors of their time of death.

Researchers noted that 1,200 of their older participants who participated in the study died.

Their time of death was recorded, alongside their nucleotide sequences.

Patients with the A-A and A-G genotypes typically died just before 11 a.m., while subjects with the G-G combination tended to die near 6 p.m.

The genes accuracy was within a range of just a few hours. “So there is really a gene that predicts

the time of day that you’ll die. Not the date, fortunately, but the time of day,” said Saper.

The researchers believe that their conclusions could have resulted from the human body’s natural tendency to revert towards its more natural, circadian rhythm-induced state when approaching death.

Busy schedules from work and social commitments alter circadian rhythm, but as death approaches the body makes this reversion.

This gene is just one of a number of exciting new discoveries about the human body.

CAMPUS NEWS 4

?

Campus Question

06 D ecember 2012

Red & Black

“What are your plans for Winter Break?”

? ?

Chelsea Cummings/ Red&Black

“Going Home to Arizona” — Emma Church ‘16

“Working and going to ski.”

— John Kyriacopolus ‘16

Chelsea Cummings/ Red&Black

“Relaxing” — Danny Walters ‘15

U. GRANT MILLER LIBRARY

?

Chelsea Cummings/ Red&Black

Chelsea Cummings/ Red&Black

“Spending time with family and friends” — Nick Maletta‘16

Campus Question, compiled by Chelsea Cummings/Red&Black

Washington & Jefferson College 60 South Lincoln St. Washington, PA 15301 Phone 724-223-6070 Fax 724-223-5272

Press Release U. Grant Miller Library will offer extended hours during Reading Days and finals, including the return of First 48, when the Library stays open around the clock for the first two days of finals. First 48 will kick off at 12:01 am Monday, Dec. 10, with healthy snacks and hot beverages, providing the fuel students need to start finals week. The library will stay open through 2 am Wednesday, Dec. 12 (the normal “Tuesday” closing time). The computer lab on the ground floor of the library will also stay open during extended hours.

The Library will also stay open until 9 pm on Saturday, Dec. 8, as well as from 8 am to midnight, on Friday, Dec. 14, and from 9 am to 6:30 pm on Saturday, Dec. 15.

Since Thanksgiving break, the library has seen increasing numbers of students in the library during late-night hours, and First 48 will provide everyone a safe, quiet place to study.

“Everybody has a time of day they feel most productive,” said Jeffery Brunner, Access and User Services Librarian. “So whether that peak time is late at night or early in the morning, we want to make sure students have a place to work without keeping their roommates awake.” Students should remember that Protection Services provides 24-hour escort services, so that no one has to walk home alone. Students can request an escort by calling X6032.

Study spaces at the library include desks, large tables for group projects, couches, chairs and cushy beanbag chairs. Librarians recommend picking a space where you feel most comfortable, avoiding stress by planning out study time, and rewarding yourself with non-studying activities when you complete a project.

Students should follow the library’s page on Facebook for announcements of additional stress-busting activities during finals week, as well as a post-event survey to offer feedback on additional activities the Library can provide during spring finals.

06 D ecember 2012

Red & Black

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. Resigns

CAMPUS NEWS 5

Holiday Light-Up Night

Hla Hpone “Jack” Myint Red&Black Staff

Michael Nemchick Red&Black Staff

Wednesday, No. 21, 2012 – Democratic House Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. of the 2nd District of Illinois officially announced his resignation from Congress due to worsening health conditions.

The Mayo Clinic; where he has been receiving treatment for the past several months (beginning in June), released a statement that Jackson is suffering from Bipolar Disorder and gastrointestinal problems. Jackson is the eldest son of American Civil Rights Leader and former Presidential Candidate the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. He was elected to office since 1995 and was reelected to his 9th term only two weeks before his resignation.

In the run-up for the re-election, given his medical condition, Jackson staged no campaign events whatsoever and didn’t even run a single TV ad, but easily defeated his two opponents; Marcus Lewis (an independent candidate) and Brian Woodwoorth (a Republican college professor).

The fact that the Illinois 2nd District area was “heavily democratic” plus Jackson’s family name and his special attention to local issues were reasons he received continuous support from his constituencies. In his resignation let-

This past Monday, December 3, the Student Activities Board put on yet another successful Holiday Light Up Night.

The event stated with a tasty holiday themed dinner in the commons and then continued downstairs in the Ski Lodge for the main event.

The lodge was decorated by hardworking SAB volunteers, getting everyone into the holiday spirit.

Here there were craft tables set up by eleven different participating student clubs, WNJR hosted music for the event, snacks were available, and local religious and secular community leaders gave speeches on how their respective groups view the holidays.

There was also the annual gingerbread house decorating contest, where the competition is fierce yet delicious.

Fourteen groups raced against time to construct the most visually appealing houses using icing and assorted candy.

A few groups got creative, using pieces of cups and whatever else they could find in the room.

Houses were judged by a panel that included President Tori-

Courtesy Wikipedia

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. recently resigned from his seat in the House of Representatives. He suffers from Bipolar Disorder and gastrointestinal problems.

ter addressed to House Speaker John Boehner, Jackson regretfully wrote, “Against the recommendations of my doctors, I had hoped and tried to return to Washington and continue working on the issues that matter most to the people of the Second District. I know now that will not be possible.”

In Oct., Jackson faced federal investigations into “federal misuse of campaign funds”, according to The Chicago Sun-Times, which first reported the probe.

The allegations state that Jackson was raising funds (approximately in the amount of $6 million) for former Chicago Governor Blagojevich (who is now serving time in Prison for Federal

Corruption Charges) in exchange for appointment to a vacated Senate Seat. The House Ethics Committee is responsible for this investigation and Jackson has denied all accusations.

Normally, there are supposed to be 435 House Members and currently there is one vacancy so, Jackson’s resignation adds to another.

According to Illinois Law, Governor Quinn is to call a special election to fill Jackson’s seat in Congress. Jackson mentioned to the press that as he spends time to “restore his health”, he will be staying home in Washington D.C. with his wife Sandi and their two children, Jesse III and Jessica.

Haring Smith and there were six winners in two age categories. For this year there was an ugly holiday sweater contest where those participating attempt to dig up and wear the most fashion offending sweaters as possible.

Fortunately, only three students participated in this battle against aesthetics, so those attending the event were not subject to a heavy assault on their eyes.

Alexis Geeza, class of 2013, exclaims “I liked how many groups participated and the crafts were fun”, applauding how many different groups were able to cooperate together to make a successful event for the entire Washington & Jefferson community.

Of course there was the classic event of lighting the tree on the Rossin Campus Center balcony.

The magic red button was presented and the balcony was lit up bright, getting everyone into the holiday spirit.

Following this was the also annual concert in the ballroom where a great performance was put on by various W&J student music groups.

With the passing of Holiday Light Up Night, comes the season of fall semester finals. After relaxing at the event, students may now be ready to cram as much knowledge into their heads as possible before exams begin.

Cease Fire Between Israel and Palestine Gives Relief to Thousands Carley Adams Red&Black Staff On Saturday, Nov. 24, Israel and Palestinian Hamas rulers came to a compromise that resulted in the alleviation of some formerly severe border restrictions, much to the relief of Gaza residents.

The ceasefire brought eight days of cross-border clashing to a halt, a conflict that, prior to the eased border restrictions, resulted in six Israeli and 166 Palestinian deaths. Despite the ceasefire, the

horrors of the border fighting are not lost upon Gaza’s 1.6 million people – not even the children.

In fact, 34 of the 166 Palestinian lives lost in the fighting were children and minors.

Tens of thousands of children returned to school after the compromise took effect.

Schools run by the U.N. even dedicated the day to letting students share their experiences and – in some cases – helping them handle the trauma.

One sixth-grade boy in Gaza City recounted seeing a missile

strike a car which then burst into flames. As a result of the shock, the boy experienced trouble sleeping, trouble eating, and constant fretfulness.

Educators are working hard to help this boy and others like him cope with the distress of having witnessed such disasters.

A group that is benefiting significantly from the easing of restrictions is the fishing industry.

Initially, boaters and fishermen were highly monitored in border areas. However, when the compromises came about, they were

allowed to sail out to see twice as far as they were previously.

On the logistical side, Egypt is serving as a middleman between Israel and the Hamas rulers since Israel considers the latter a terrorist organization.

This also means that they refuse any direct communication or negotiation.

Israel commands that Hamas stop the secretive transport of weapons into Gaza.

Hamas also desires unrestricted mobility of goods and people in and out of Gaza. Despite the

necessity of a middleman and the tensions still existing between Israel and the Hamas rulers, progress is imminent.

Many Gaza residents even said that for the first time in a very long time, they could pass over to the Gaza side of the border without fear of an open fire.

Recently, the United Nations upped the status of Palestine, thereby recognizing it as a limited state. The condition of this vote, however, is that Palestine must work towards further peace with Israel.

LIFE 06 D ecember 2012

Memoto Documents Your Whole Life

Just like every Halloween at Washington & Jefferson, we were all in for a treat. When it came to costumes this year, let’s face it, there was the good, the bad and the ugly. F

Courtesy wordpress.com

This petite camera will likely revolutionize the future of photo sharing.

Alessandra Jacobs Red&Black Staff

Is there ever a time where you wish your entire life could be documented, down to the minute?

Thanks to Martin Källström, this very well could be on the horizon of technological advancements.

Källström is the CEO and cofounder of Memoto, the company that is creating a postage-stampsized camera that is able to be worn.

The miniscule camera, according to huffingtonpost. com, is able to take 2 snapshots a minute, adding up to an astronomical 700,800 photos a year.

The photos are available on a private site and can be accessed there to relive moments within the customers life.

On Kickstarter, a fundraising platform, the project has over $500,000 and is planned to be shipped in February of 2013, not too far off in the future.

Källström, during the October press release for the camera, describes his creation as “a small, really tiny robot sitting there taking notes, like ‘Oh, I have to tell Martin about this later.’”

He then went on to suggest the potential momentous things that a camera like this could provide: reminiscing about meeting the

love of your life, reliving when your child took their first steps, or remembering a night where you laughed all night with your friends. The things that the customer can look back upon in their life with the Memoto camera are endless.

The problem many are having with the impending introduction of the Memoto camera is the idea of privacy, especially due to many other photo sharing websites that make photos very accessible to the public, whether by choice of the subject or not.

Källström addresses this very poignant issue by saying that “it’s one ethical choice to take a photo.

It’s another to then publish it and share it with someone else.

By separating that choice to really two decisions instead of one, we’re making it easier for people to respect each other.” It’s this idea that will make Memoto different from other sites that allow photo sharing or reposting like Pinterest or Tumblr.

The Memoto camera will bring about a new way of remembering our lives and our surroundings on a daily basis.

We will soon be able to document nearly every second of our lives; so Instagram-lovers or Pinterest-obsessors beware, because the Memoto camera is the way of the future for photo sharing and it’s headed our way.

LIFE 6

Red & Black

“Life After Jay” Column Sign-Off Adam Kmett Red&Black Columnist

Is there anything more tragic than spending four years at college and having no clue what you plan to do after graduation? As I began writing for the Red&Black newspaper this year, I had a sense that many students might be interested in learning more about the broader Washington & Jefferson community.

On our campus, occasionally we can feel isolated from the reality of day-to-day life. Perhaps, given this sort of feeling, we all feel slightly unaware of the options available for our future career plans. I would contend that as a student body, we are not in the wrong by feeling slightly uneasy about all our futures. But that’s why I started this column.

I think that given the current economic problems facing our country and given the general uncertainty amongst some current students regarding their future, I hope the “Life After Jay” column served a few purposes. In terms of a formal purpose, I hope they brought awareness and knowledge to the student body of several W&J success stories that have unfolded over multiple decades and in multifarious fields.

Perhaps you read these stories on Thursday mornings while your two bread slices take forever to cook in the toaster. Maybe you used my column as a way to begin networking with alumni that you were interested in learning more about. Regardless of what this column did for anyone, it is my genuine hope it offered you something to take away.

To conclude this semester’s list of W&J All-Star success stories, I decided to interview Michael Ashbaugh, a 2010 W&J graduate.

I was thankful Ashbaugh agreed to the conversation, knowing that he is such a hard worker in the Admissions House and that he is a great representation of W&J to prospective students. In the interview, Ashbaugh recalled his finest W&J memories and shared advice to current students.

In the fall term of 2006, Ashbaugh joined the W&J community. He had been familiar with W&J for some time since he grew up right in Washington County, but it was not until college decision time that his mind really changed about where he wanted to spend the next four years.

Long opposed to the idea of going to the college “in his backyard” Ashbaugh changed his mind.

He decided that W&J would be a fabulous place to develop his intellectual curiosity and hone interests. Coming into W&J, those interests were Biology in association with Pre-Medicine.

That changed when Ashbaugh decided that he could no longer be passionate learning about medicine. Having taken electives courses in Psychology and Economics, Ashbaugh decided he would enjoy enrolling in more of these courses.

Ashbaugh felt that the decision was a great fit, volunteering, “I came to realize, that the professors in both [those] fields would really be great mentors for me and instill a passion for learning in me in both those fields.”

Ashbaugh’s professors certainly seemed to do a good job in encouraging his academic performance as well, which was never dropped below a 4.0GPA his entire four years at W&J. He was a good student. Ashbaugh became a member of four honor societies.

Amongst these societies, perhaps the most notable was Phi Beta Kappa, a well-respected national honors fraternal organization.

Speaking on his induction into that society, Ashbaugh recalled, “I was glad the hard worked paid off.

It was rewarding to know I had become a member of such a wellrespected honors society.”

Ashbaugh was also wellinvolved outside of academics during his time at W&J. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta social fraternity on campus. One of his favorite W&J memories was in conjunction with the time he spent as a fraternity brother.

During Anchor Splash in 2006, Ashbaugh recalled it was a funny see a group of his brothers, many

football players, practicing the synchronized swimming routine to the chicken dance.

Ashbaugh’s other favorite memories are connected to the time he spent on the football team during his freshman to junior years. He carried these lessons, memories and knowledge into graduate school with him when he enrolled in a Masters of Education Program at the University of Pittsburgh. But it was in March of that time when an opportunity arose.

Ashbaugh spotted an advertisement that shared Washington and Jefferson College was looking to hire an assistant admissions counselor. It was an opportunity he could not ignore.

Thus, he soon found himself applying for the job; and shortly thereafter, Ashbaugh rejoined the W&J community as a member of the staff.

In his current capacity as an admissions counselor, Ashbaugh spends an active role in shaping the future of the W&J community.

Speaking on the W&J community, Ashbaugh commented that he felt that returning to W&J was much like returning to “home where there is a great sense of community.”

When asked about his future plans, Ashbaugh shared he has his sights on a doctorate in the future.

Interestingly, he expressed he still retains an interest in teaching.

So perhaps, it may be possible Ashbaugh will complete a W&J trifecta: student, counselor, and professor.

Regardless of where the future takes Ashbaugh, he will always remain a W&J success story. His academic success at this college was enriched by passionate professors and a drive to succeed.

As his story continues unfolding, there is no doubt his auspicious upbringing will land him amongst the club of W&J greats. But for now, Ashbaugh will continue to share a smile on the second floor of the Admissions House, casually quote movie lines and continue his work in bettering our community and strengthening W&J as a whole.

06 December 2012

LIFE 7

Red & Black

Could Artificial Intelligence Threaten Human Existence?

Courtesy free-press-release.com

In I, Robot, starring Will Smith, artificially intelligent robots serve as assistants. When one breaks one of the Three Laws of Robotics, the humans must quell a terrifying robot uprising.

Michael Nemchick Red&Black Staff Recently at Cambridge University, professors have proposed a Center for the Study of Existential Risk. If instated, the center will consider whether super intelligent technologies, including artificial intelligences, could threaten human existence.

This sounds a little bit like 2001 a Space Odyssey where the sentient computer HAL 9000 attempts to take over a spaceship by killing the members of the crew. No sense in getting worried yet. Skynet is not about to launch

the nukes and construct a robot army to exterminate the human species. Nor is it expected that humanity is currently suspended in the matrix and being used as batteries.

Artificial intelligence has quite a long way to go, there are no self-aware computers out there now, let alone ones that control anything potentially dangerous.

There are currently no artificial intelligences that can completely mimic human brain functions, such as problem solving, or ones that possess equal social skills or awareness. However, there are a number of powerful chess

playing computers. As early as 1996, Deep Blue defeated world chess champing Garry Kasparov, marking the first time a computer had ever beaten a world champion.

Deep Blue was able to search 200 million positions per second!

Of course playing chess and starting the nuclear apocalypse are two different things. Many programs can do rudimentary and sometimes effective problem solving; but thinking ahead, learning new things and creativity are much harder to emulate.

Processing power is still increasing at an exponential scale though, so we will continue to

see more breakthroughs with computer programming. But selfaware machines are a long way away, if they are possible at all.

There are other questions that can be asked other than the possible danger of artificial intelligences, such as ethics.

Let us all use our imagination for a bit and imagine that humans have created an artificial intelligence that has brain functions equal to that of an average human.

Would it be unethical to mistreat this intelligence, to harm it or hurt its feelings? Would it be ethical to put a machine like this

to work without paying it? Would these machines flip tortoises on their backs, leaving them helpless in the hot desert sun?

Overall, there are other technologies that we have right now that are more dangerous to human life than artificial intelligences. Society still needs to more responsibly handle (or eventually disarm) nuclear weapons, control our CO2 emissions and be sure that we do not release any super viruses out into the public.

Maybe some artificial intelligence can be made to solve these problems for us.

Foreign Students Share Their American Experience

Just like every Halloween at Washington & Jefferson, we were all in for a treat. When it came to costumes this year, let’s face it, there was the good, the bad and the ugly. For some girls, they take this as an opportunity to dress in the least amount of clothes as possible, and have it be socially acceptable. But, for others, it is a time to be completely creative and make a costume that no one else on campus would have.

Anastasia Nedayvoda style.

We were of upset. countedcame meal in plans.

We listened Bingo and we didn’t win.

We used voicemail. We MyChicago favorite costume theWe weekend a trio, as three played girls turned themselves into dance. little blue and bubbly Red&Black Contributor bathtubs. were happy.

We played chessa in to clown, country amusic in taxis.

We We had a roommate.

Wesystem forgot and finally knew what There was also scary carefully constructed skeleton, a solar cougars, of the50 Shades Old Main.

We swiped.

We variety. watched took long naps. We got our first our swipes and lost our keys. We of Grey is about. We had long younger man hunting movies with Gene Heckman. We A’s. We polished our nails better stand in endless lines in G&T’s. dinners in the commons. We and EveWewere roaming as well Bam Bam. Couples costumes werehard. a bigWehit this year.

We visited Walmart. We shopped Adam stepped back. survived Sandy. campus, than a master did. as WePebbles believed inandWe travelled by megabus.

We studied read, read, read.

All you need is a significant andsurvived the costume perfect.

Jasmine and Aladdin were spotted at the andit. police in Walmart.

We learned to shop in other, We even elections.isWe excuses.

We were stupid.

We got had pre-games (we Wellness are 21, hopeCenter We did We are officers finishing this Walmart fast. We their loved Virginia like French is theinsecond flowers. We didn’t understand. you remember). We had walk of semester right now. were dragging inmates felt all around campus handcuffs. from Barista, iswho in Washington We were politically We it shames.

Maybe we expected something Halloween the poured perfecthot timeofficial to belanguage anything you have &always wanted to be;active. whether is a caveman or a professional bask water in our mugs for free.

We Jefferson College.

We learned that understood that sometimes a We partied at fraternities’ different; maybe we took etball player. Hey, I even saw a sexy panda. Halloween is the time to turn your fantasies into a reality. took shuttles to Pittsburgh. We we are in dubjay. We gossiped. republican steak-lover could be a houses. We saw deer. We checked somethings too personal. But As expected, the with classic costumes allan made thisfriend Halloweekend.

TheWe question really was or Hell?

Devils faced off with decorated our rooms posters.

We were objectan of appearance gossips. We good with liberal vegan. our mailboxes.

We Heaven slept in tech anyway, we did it. Thank to every angels witches took o lost our childish expectations. We got ill. We were healed. We bought (yes, once). We heard a whistle in one of you for this semester We evenand shopped in Walgreens.

We missed our pets. We went to kissed. We laughed.

American vitamins. We learned our dorm. We did laundry. We ate and thanks to some of you for VIP (yes, we are 21). We went We watched hockey and a lot about vegans. We mourned at Taсo Bell. We had midterms. moments to remember. We will n ghosts. through matriculation. wrote but American We looked had pop-spectacular with Tim’s in family.

We felt the We watched miss Washington & Jefferson There were not justWetricks, treats;football. someone an incredibly creative home karaoke-night. made cottonWe candy costume.

Magical essays in MLA-style and even in up quizzes. We took naps. We support of college community. We dressed up for the homecoming College.

8 LIFE

Red & Black

06 D ecember 2012

What Romantic Advice Can Be Found In Classic 80’s Movies?

Courtesy listal.com

In Sixteen Candles, Sam (Molly Ringwald) has a crush on popular kid, Jake (Michael Schoeffling). When she approaches him, she finds out that he’s not really the way he seems to be.

Chelsea Cummings Red&Black Staff Advice about love comes from all directions.

We hear it from our friends who have tales of love to share. We hear the classic love stories from our grandparents, where failing in love was simple.

We have our fantasies of love from Disney movies or those romantic comedies.

However, one category for advice we rarely use (it was a bit before our time) is love lessons from the ‘80s.

The classic ‘80s movies about love can teach us a few things about love.

1: Dancing is the key to winning someone’s heart.

“Dirty Dancing,” “Flashdance,” “Footloose,” “Fame,” “Breakin’” and “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.” What girl can resist a boy that knows how to dance? The boy who is in touch with his body and knows how to use it is a deadly weapon. Try to resist that boy.

2: Any problems you may be having with your romantic partner can be solved by listening to the tunes of Peter Gabriel.

“Say Anything.”

Now, I will be the first to admit, I have no idea who Peter Gabriel is, but I was able

to check out his song on iTunes. He has a song for every emotion and if you play those tunes you will be able to forgive your romantic partner.

We have learned that music is the universal language. Just stand outside her window with that boombox blasting Gabriel’s lyrics and you will surely be able to win her back.

3: Hot guys have feelings too. “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink.” He may have the looks, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want a meaningful relationship.

You may look at his friends or that exgirlfriend of his and wonder why he hangs out with them.

But underneath the destructive friends could be a sensitive man that would like you if you gave him the chance. Next time he approaches you, reach out and talk to him. You never known until you try.

4: Sometimes the bad boy is just bad.

“Heathers.” You need to ask yourself a few questions before you date that bad boy.

He may look attractive and mysterious, but what is he hiding?

Does he blow things up, wear a trench coat all of the time or move to your town suspiciously?

If you are unclear of the answers you should definitely run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.

5: Opposites attract. “Pretty in Pink,” “Footloose,” every ‘80s movie ever.

Just because he is completely different than you doesn’t mean he doesn’t have that secret crush on you. Although society and families disapprove of you both being together, it will be solved before the closing credits. There is a saying that holds true: sometimes it is so wrong, that it has to be right.

6: Want to get the guy? Be yourself.

“Sixteen Candles.” This is the ‘80s. We are not changing our image to impress the guy.

Although Sandy in Grease ditched the poodle skirt for some skin tight clothing to impress the guy, we no longer do that. Who wants to pretend to be someone they’re not? It takes a lot of effort.

7: I repeat: Don’t change for them. “The Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink.” These ‘80s movies all featured the love struck girl that went through a makeover and was able to win the boy’s heart.

However, despite the new clothes and a little bit of make-up, you still need to stay true to yourself. Don’t let people tell you

who you need to be. Remember that if the boy likes you then he will go after you.

8: Guys who ride riding mowers are surprisingly sexy. “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Although we all know that guy who rides a tractor is extremely sexy, the guy who rides a lawn mower is competing for the sexy spot.

9: Friendship is the basis of any great relationship. “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “The Goonies.” Although you could always just be friends, being good friends with the person you like is the foundation for a relationship. You may secretly have a huge crush on him, but he likes someone else. However, when he has his heart broken by that girl you will be right by his side and he just might fall for you.

But sometimes you have to settle for being just friends. “Pretty in Pink.” You might be trying for something that isn’t there and you need to look the situation and realize that you were meant to only be friends.

So next time you are trying to figure out a way to go further with your crush, maybe you should sit down and watch some ‘80s movies. They can teach you a great deal about love.

06 D ecember 2012

LIFE 9

Red & Black

Fox News Writer Calls for Women to End the “War on Men” Microsoft Invents New Chinese Software

Courtesy xinhuanet.com

Rick Rashid, Microsoft’s Chief Research Officer, presents the product.

Bailey Mudrick Red&Black Staff

Courtesy misfitpolitics.com

The mythical “War on Men” involves blaming women for modern mens’ reluctance to commit to marriage.

Sarah O’Donnell Red&Black Columnist

These new women who have embraced feminism and changed gender relations forever are to blame for men’s reluctance to marry.

As Venker puts it, “Men want to love women, not compete with them. They want to provide for and protect their families – it’s in their DNA. But modern women won’t let them.”

the unfortunate victims of the women’s movement.

Because they have supposedly emulated men by working outside According to Fox News writer of the home and demanding Suzanne Venker, “The battle of equal rights and respect, women the sexes is alive and well.” In have thrown away the femininity her article “The War on Men,” that made them appealing in the Venker cites a study that asked first place. participants to rate the importance Venker makes no attempt to of a successful marriage in their hide that these are their beliefs, lives. ending her article in what For women, the view one can only assume is her “Rather than perhaps that marriage is important idea of an optimistic note: has increased from 28 there is good placing the blame on a culture “Fortunately, percent in 1997 to 37 news: women have the that enables men-children and power to turn everything percent today.

Men, however, have All they have to do glorifies the bachelor lifestyle, around. experienced the opposite is surrender to their nature result—while 35 percent Yenker believes that modern – their femininity – and let of men rated a successful men surrender to theirs.” marriage as important in women are solely to blame and Yes, according to this 1997, only 29 still share this woman’s opinion, the only that men are the unfortunate view. Venker concludes possible solution is to victims of the women’s that the disparity in these retreat back to the comfort numbers comes down of gender roles and social movement.” to one important factor: inequality.

“Women aren’t women In the end, perhaps anymore.”

Essentially, Venker’s article men’s indifference to marriage is Venker places the blame infuriatingly concludes that for the best, as Venker believes squarely on women for failing to women need to give up their that only when women change appeal to men as marriageable notions of being men’s equals if will “marriageable men… come material. they want a successful marriage. out of the woodwork.”

Women, she claims, have Rather than perhaps placing If the men who are presently changed dramatically as a result the blame on a culture that enables uninterested in marriage share of the sexual revolution, while men-children and glorifies Venker’s outdated, offensive, men have stayed the same because the bachelor lifestyle, Venker and sexist beliefs, then they will they have had no great cultural believes that modern women are do women a big favor by staying movements centered on them. solely to blame and that men are hidden.

We all know computers can do it all nowadays and with an internet connection it is almost impossible to not accomplish anything you need to get done; unless you are easily distracted, but that is a different story. With software programs for PCs and Macs alike, the world is at your fingertips.

Software can help assist with your own personal taxes, edit videos and photos, make a presentation or spreadsheet or even to have your own music studio—all in the comfort of your own home. Other programs like Rosetta Stone help individuals learn a language quickly and efficiently. The company Microsoft is trying to bring in an entirely new element to speaking a foreign language by actually computing your own voice to make it sounds like you are speaking the other language.

Well, Microsoft has posted a video that shows the next best thing: translating your spoken English word into Mandarin, and possibly other languages in the future, in your own voice. Rick Rashid, Microsoft’s Chief Research Officer, writes that he had to train the system to recognize his voice, and to speak with his intonations.

The computer listened to an hour of his speeches (in English) in order to get it right. It also had several hours of training from a Chinese speaker.

Rashid explains how the

technology works in a video posted on the Internet. Rashid said. “By using a technique called deep neural networks, which is patterned after human brain behavior, researchers were able to train more discriminative and better speech recognizers than previous methods.” This essential means that the researchers are able to reduce error rates by nearly a third. Don’t get too excited about the results just yet.

This kind of speech-to-speech translation technology likely won’t be consumer ready anytime soon.

But, as Rashid wrote on the Microsoft web page, “The results are still not perfect, and there is still much work to be done, but the technology is very promising, and we hope that in a few years we will have systems that can completely break down language barriers ...

We may not have to wait until the 22nd century for a usable equivalent of Star Trek’s universal translator, and we can also hope that as barriers to understanding language are removed, barriers to understanding each other might also be removed. The cheers from the crowd of 2,000 mostly Chinese students, and the commentary that’s grown on China’s social media forums ever since, suggests a growing community of budding computer scientists who feel the same way.”

The possibilities for the future are endless. As Rashid said in the video, they hope to “break down the language barriers between people. Personally I believe this is going to lead to a better world.”

ARTS 06 D ecember 2012

Red & Black

Vintage Letterpress Revivals: Unique Vintage Posters Carley Adams Red&Black Staff

Contrary to common belief, the students who spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the Olin Fine Arts Center are not the only ones in the Washington & Jefferson community whose creative cogs are turning.

W&J students Evan Rosenberg, ’14, and Zach Rosinger, ’14, have been experimenting with some old-school artistic styles to produce a series of pieces in what they like to call the Vintage Letterpress Revival.

Rosenberg’s father owns the Triangle Poster and Printing Company, a Pittsburgh-based company specializing in an old style of printing called letterpress.

“This summer, [Rosinger] and I spent our time looking through all of the old woodblocks to find cool ones to print,” Rosenberg said. “The dates of these blocks range from the late 1800's to mid 1900's. They are all hand-carved.”

The old-fashioned fonts, the bright colors and the quirky characters on Rosenberg and Rosinger’s printed posters may look smooth and almost effortlessly crafted, but it takes more than a simple stamp to make art this awesome.

The process is far more complicated than one would think.

“You start with the wood block with the lightest coloring, usually yellow,” Rosenberg explained.

“You then run your paper through the press.

When you're ready to move on to the next color, another block is required.”

Each color printed onto the image requires “a lot of fiddling around until you line the block and paper up perfectly.”

The big shocker to everyone still thinking, “But how hard can it be?” is this: “The downfall to this kind of printing is that you may start with 100 prints of the first block. For the second block, you may end up with 50-75. The third 25-50, and so on.” Considering the ratio of prints made to prints still intact by the addition of the last color, it is safe to say this craft takes dedication.

While the work requires the utmost precision, the result is well worth the effort. To see more of Rosenberg and Rosinger’s printed works of art, log on to Facebook and check out their page entitled Vintage Letterpress Revival.

Each and every poster is as fun and strikingly unique as the one before it.

Courtesy Evan Rosenberg/Red&Black

The picture above is of an original “War of the Worlds” poster. These are limited in sale.

ARTS 10

‘Tis The Season To Watch Christmas Movies

Shari Kaminski Red&Black Staff

It’s Christmas, and that means it’s time to watch Christmas specials, old and new. You can enjoy the ones that have been on for years, such as “A Christmas Story” or “Miracle on 34th Street,” or you can keep an eye out for the newest, cheesy, made-for-TV specials on the Hallmark and Lifetime channels.

Keep an eye out for specials such as “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” which often have multiple showings.

USA is bound to have a weekend of “Elf ” showings, the Will Ferrell movie about Buddy the Elf that quickly became a holiday classic.

On the night of Dec. 10, NBC will air Michael Buble’s 2012 Christmas special.

Tune in for special guests, performances of songs from his hit Christmas album (released last year), and more.

There is also “It’s a Wonderful Life,” also airing on multiple channels at different times.

For those who are unfamiliar with it (as I was, admittedly, until a few years ago), “It’s a Wonderful Life” was made in 1946.

Starring James Stewart as George Bailey, a frustrated business man who is shown by an angel what the lives of those who know him would be like if he never existed.

It has become a very

familiar plotline for Christmas episodes of other television shows, such as “Psych.”

Another familiar Christmas story you can see many interpretations of this year is Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” the story of Ebenezer Scrooge whose life is changed when he is visited by three different ghosts on Christmas Eve. You may be lucky enough to see the musical version on stage in Pittsburgh, or you could stay home and have a good chance at catching one of the many movie versions.

There are classic interpretations starring famous actors as Scrooge such as Patrick Stewart, George C. Scott, Alastair Sim and Kelsey Grammer.

There are also versions of “A Christmas Carol” with a twist; like “Scrooged” starring Bill Murray, or “The Muppet’s Christmas Carol.”

For those looking for more comedy, you can always catch “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” another story featuring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold trying to enjoy a vacation with his family, when everything goes horribly and hilariously wrong.

There is also one of my favorite parts of Christmas: the 24-hour marathon of “A Christmas Story” on TBS. Starting at 8.P.M. on Christmas Eve, I can enjoy watching Ralphie in his quest for a Red Ryder B.B. Gun as much as I want until the same time on Christmas Day. Happy Holidays, and enjoy the winter break!

06 D ecember 2012

ARTS 11

Red & Black

The Fun “Wreck-It Ralph” Wrecks The Box Office Alexis Geeza Red&Black Staff “Wreck-It Ralph” is Disney’s newest animated feature, a 3D computer-animated comedy about an arcade game antagonist who dreams of being a hero instead.

Receiving generally favorable reviews from critics, “WreckIt Ralph” scored $49 million as Disney Animation Studio’s highest opening weekend.

The plot revolves around the title character, Wreck-It Ralph, whose main purpose in life is to smash stuff in the arcade game “Fix-It Felix, Jr.” At a game villain support group, Ralph admits that he no longer wants to be a bad guy — it’s the game’s hero, Fix-It Felix, who gets all the admiration.

Determined to prove that he can be a hero too, Ralph sets off to get a winner’s medal just like Felix’s, and ends up in the firstperson shooter game “Hero’s Duty.”

In the process of attaining his medal, Ralph accidentally releases a Cy-Bug from “Hero’s Duty” into another game; a kart-racer called “Sugar Rush,” and meets one of

the denizens of “Sugar Rush,” a glitchy girl named Vanellope von Schweetz.

As the movie progresses, multiple plotlines unravel: Felix must retrieve Ralph before their game gets unplugged for being broken, Ralph needs his medal,

the stories intertwine rather effectively, with the right amount of action, plot twists and maybe a little bit of heartbreak.

“Wreck-It Ralph” is an enjoyable movie for both children and adults, with an engaging story, colorful graphics, creative

to be appealing to younger children) and the designs for the sets and background characters are fantastic (just looking at everything in “Sugar Rush” can give you diabetes).

The best part, however, is the plethora of video game references

Courtesy pop-break.com

“Wreck-It Ralph,” Disney’s newest animated feature, taking off in the box offices. It has characters from new and old games, bringing out the “evil” characters and showing their good sides. This fun film will appeal to all ages.

Vanellope wants to participate in the qualifying race for “Sugar Rush” and the Cy-Bugs must be stopped before they take over all the games in the arcade.

It sounds like a lot, but

designs and plenty of old-school game references for those more nostalgically-inclined.

The characters are all endearing (even Vanellope, who you can tell is clearly the character designed

included in the film.

It will probably take me a few more rewatches to catch all of them, but older gamers will appreciate the little nods to other popular games, from wall

graffiti that says “Aerith lives” to a character using the Konami code to access a secret area in-game.

Personally, “Wreck-It Ralph” completely won me over right at the beginning, when Ralph digs through a lost-and-found bin and pulls out a Metal Gear Solid alert in the form of an exclamation point.

As a bonus, the black-andwhite animated short film “Paperman” included before “Wreck-It Ralph” is probably one of the most charming things I’ve seen in a while; and considering how charming “Wreck-It Ralph” itself is, that’s saying something.

The short blends traditional and computer animation to absolutely stunning effect, with a cute storyline about a flock of paper planes bringing together a man and woman who met briefly at a train station.

Overall, “Wreck-It Ralph” is a great movie for those who want something family friendly to watch while still appealing to an older crowd.

It’s unabashedly fun and exciting, definitely worth a watch even by those skeptical about movies marketed towards children.

“Walking Dead” Mid Season Finale: And Now We Wait Deidre Parker Red&Black Editor If you’re a zombie buff, chances are you were tuned in to the mid-season finale of the Walking Dead this past Sunday.

After the controversy of Maggie’s sexual assault last week, many were interested to see what exactly would happen on the show next.

For fans of drama and cliffhangers, “Made to Suffer” did not disappoint.

The show began by introducing a new group of survivors battling their way through the woods and eventually making their way into the same prison where Rick and the rest of the group have made their home.

Following some scenes of the governor and his creepy zombie daughter, the main crux of the episode was Rick, Daryl and Michonne sneaking into Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie.

The search and rescue was violent and bloody and everything that fans have come to expect of the show.

At least one group member was killed, and another was taken hostage.

Without revealing too much, the end of the episode ends with at least two more characters’ lives in the balance as they must fight to the death in Woodbury’s makeshift gladiator arena.

Other interesting subplots were brought to a head as Michonne and the Governor have

a bloody battle in his office; and Andrea, who has entered into a relationship with him, finds out about the Governor’s wall of decapitated zombie heads.

Overall, it was a fascinating episode that changed the nature of several relationships within the show and gave fans ammunition to speculate about new characters, the fates of old characters and even what will happen to the town of Woodbury.

With all of the new dangers facing Rick and co., as of right now, it seems that “walkers” are the least of anyone’s worries.

As the tagline says, “Fight the Dead, Fear the Living.”

Of course, it wasn’t all dramatic.

If you were paying attention, you might have seen “Emmy Kinney’s Tips for Looking Hot in a Zombie Apocalypse” flash across the screen.

The list included such sage advice as, “No concealer? Swipe a bit of dirt over that embarrassing blemish.

Everyone’s covered in mud and blood, so no one will question it!” and “A good pair of boots are the only shoes you need, they go with everything!” Definitely wise words to keep in mind in case of a zombie outbreak.

If you just can’t wait for more Walking Dead, you can scour the internet for previews of episode 9, join a forum to talk about all your interesting theories for the rest of the season or maybe take some time to get acquainted with the original comic series.

For everyone else, The Walking Dead will return with “The Suicide King” on Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. on AMC.

12 ARTS

Red & Black

06 D ecember 2012

What Does Pittsburgh’s Culture District “Breaking Dawn Part 2”: Satisfying Ending?

Alessandra Jacobs Have to Offer? to spend on elaborate houses decorated rooms, wardrobes Carley Adams Red&Black Staff

If Olin art shows and February plays “Winter Tales XI,” “Trifles” and “Woman’s Honor” aren’t enough to satisfy everyone’s craving to support the arts, why not venture outside of Washington, PA and see what kind of opportunities there are to be a patron of the arts in Pittsburgh?

Sports are not all that this city has going for it. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has taken a part of Downtown Pittsburgh and vitalized it, creating a bustling, thriving hub of arts appreciation.

For those aching to admire visual art, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (which covers about 14 square blocks between the Convention Center and Stanwix Street) has a plethora of options from galleries to public art to recurring arts programs in the Downtown area.

The six major art galleries available thanks to the Cultural Trust are free and open to the general public, and each one has a unique curatorial theme.

709 Gallery (located at the intersection of Maddock Street and Penn Avenue), for example, exhibits the works of local, Pittsburgh-based artists; while the Wood Street Galleries (located near the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 7th Street) display innovation and technology through both exhibition and performance.

Those craving dancing, theatrics or music might want to take a trip to the Cultural District and see what kinds

Red&Black Staff

of performances and shows are taking place for the holiday season. As per tradition, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (2900 Liberty Avenue) will be showing Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” from Dec. 7-Dec. 30, 2012.

For those who prefer plays to ballets but still want to get into the holiday spirit, the Pittsburgh CLO’s presentation of “A Musical Christmas Carol” – a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale – will be showing at the Byham theatre Dec. 7-Dec. 23, 2012.

Those interested in plays might also want to take a trip to the Pittsburgh Public Theatre this winter and check out upcoming performances of “The Chief ” by Rob Zellers and Gene Collier and “1776: A Musical Play” by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards.

That is not to forget about the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the wide variety of holiday musical performances taking place this December at the beautiful and historic Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts (600 Penn Avenue).

Anyone interested in attending stirring performances of Tchaikovsky’s “Winter Dreams” or Highmark “Holiday Pops” should check out the PSO’s online schedule of events and see what’s next in the musical heart of Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh, PA is a city bursting at the seams with cultural and artistic vitality, and what better time to appreciate it than the holidays?

Plan your next (or first!) visit to the Pittsburgh Cultural District today!

As much as it pains me to say this, Breaking Dawn Part 2 was an absolutely amazing movie. With all the drama surrounding this most recent film (i.e. Kristen Stewart cheating with a director while still dating Robert Pattinson), I truly wanted the film to be a bust, but shockingly, I watched the film in rapt attention. It was one of those movies that you never wanted to end.

The concept behind the Twilight saga is intriguing to say the least; the vampires that Bella, the main character, encounters never age, keep their fantastically good looks forever, have incredible strength and wit and have amassed an incredible amount of money

and cars.

In the last and latest installment, Bella has become a vampire and now can join in all the fun that entails.

We are privy to watching Bella’s first “hunt” in stunning graphics. The entire forest is in hyper-focus with the audience having the ability to see what Bella sees.

With zoom-in shots of water droplets on the saturated, green leaves and the animals each heard individually, the hunt fascinates and draws in the audience. It gives the feeling of a 3D movie but without having to wear those cumbersome glasses.

The entire movie is a dream for the audience. The vampires have Martha Stewartesque houses with perfectly

that would rival Anna Wintour and extreme physical strength. Breaking Dawn gives the chance for the audience to live vicariously through these fictitious characters.

The movie could have been average, but the surprise ending gave a potentially overdone and expected film a fresh, new take. For most of the audience, they have either read the Twilight series or have a general gist of plot, but the ending was truly a surprise.

Whether a Twihard or just a moviegoer, Breaking Dawn Part 2 is universally enjoyable. One could be visually astounded by the graphics or surprised by the ending of the movie, but will ultimately leave the theater with a feeling of satisfaction.

“The Hunger Games” is “Catching Fire” With It’s Audiences Shari Kaminski Red&Black Columnist Warning: this article has spoilers for “Catching Fire,” the first sequel to “The Hunger Games.” If you are trying to stay surprised for the movie or have not read the book yet, stop reading now.

The filming of “Catching Fire” began recently and new pictures have surfaced of the cast and area where they are shooting. They are currently in Hawaii, with no word on whether or not they will film in other locations from the first movie.

In “Catching Fire,” Katniss, Peeta and other previous winners of the Hunger Games must face the arena again and try to win a second time.

Meanwhile, there are rumors

of a revolt against the Capitol by the twelve Districts.

The first released picture shows Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in a black and white wetsuit that looks like the uniform the tributes are given to wear in the arena. A second picture shows Katniss in the same outfit preparing to dive into the water, as the tributes begin the games standing on small platforms in an ocean with the rest of the arena in sight.

There is another picture of Josh Hutcherson as Peeta in the same outfit, talking to a crew member between takes.

The next picture shows arguably the most anticipated character of the movie, District Four’s Finnick Odair, played by Sam Clafin. He is also jumping into the water.

Katniss is standing behind him with a quiver of arrows on her back, and another female tribute is standing beside her, but her character was not identified. The other tribute is holding Finnick’s famous trident.

The final two pictures are also of Katniss, one of her aiming an arrow at an unseen target, and one of her smiling.

A teaser trailer can also be seen now in theaters before certain films. It does not contain any footage from the film, but shows Katniss’ mockingjay pin bursting into flames, followed by the title of the film.

“Catching Fire” will be released in theaters in Nov. 2013. The third and final book in the series, “Mockingjay,” will be filmed and released in two parts.

06 D ecember 2012

ARTS 13

Red & Black

Hannah Russell, Senior Art Major, And Her “Hannah-Land” Piece Michael Nemchick Red&Black Staff Hannah Russell, an art major in the class of 2013, is currently working on her senior show, a graduation requirement for all art majors at Washington & Jefferson College.

She calls the piece she is working on “Hannah Land.”

Hannah Land, a work in progress, currently consists of 4 painted wooden walls each with a different theme and focus.

Her work started as somewhat of a self-portrait of her inner self, but Hannah says it has turned into “a universal look into what it is to be human.” It is also said to be somewhat of a feminist piece.

Two walls are getting close to completion. The first wall consists of a blue background with different women’s vaginas painted on it, most of which seem to have come from

the internet (as the source material was seen lying on the ground). Part of the reason for the vaginas is that Hannah does not “want people to be embarrassed about lady parts” but also to encourage self-expression and pride of womanhood.

The second wall nearing completion is one consisting of various painted rectangles which are meant to symbolize drawers; knobs are currently being added to complete this effect.

This is meant to symbolize people’s “obsessive categorization of everything.”

The drawers are meant to look somewhat superficial as the labels people use are often superficial.

The two other walls are planned but work on them has not yet had much headway.

The theme of one is holes and how people try to fill their emptiness with a variety of different things. The last

one deals with the inside and outside of a person; comparing and contrasting one’s presentation of self with

one’s actual self.

Once complete, the four walls will be put together to form a room that people

courtesy Michael Nemchick/Red&Black

will walk into to observe everything all together.

Hannah’s ultimate goal for the project is to “make people think or feel about at least one thing in the world differently” after entering and leaving the room.

Two of Hannah’s artistic inspirations are Judy Chicago and Tracey Emin, both of whom work with feminist themes.

However, they are not exactly the inspirations for the piece currently under construction.

This work is not Hannah’s first brush with depicting genitals in art mediums.

She had previously made pottery based on both the male and female genitals, as well as creating molds of female breasts for different art pieces.

Hannah Land will be on display in the Olin Fine Arts Center during the latter part of the 2013 spring semester.

Coming Shows To Olin This Winter: “Winter Tales,” “Trifles” and “Woman’s Honor” Carley Adams Red&Black Staff “The Ruby Sunrise” has wrapped and students and faculty alike eagerly await the start of winter break, but as every good thespian and patron of the performing arts knows, “the show must go on!”

The temperatures may be lower and the days may be shorter, but the Washington & Jefferson Department of Theatre and Communication has no intention of hibernating this winter.

There are plenty of opportunities for students to both support and participate in upcoming winter performances, the first of which is “Winter Tales XI,” which takes place Thursday, Feb. 14, Friday, Feb. 15, and Saturday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Olin Theatre.

“Winter Tales” is a festival that features concert readings of ten-minute plays, each written by a

student, faculty member or alumni of the W&J Community.

Playwrights interested in submitting a ten-minute play should contact Professor T.S. Frank, Chair of the Department of Theatre & Communication.

Just two weeks after “Winter Tales” will be the premiere of two one-act plays directed by Dr. Karin Maresh.

The first, a play entitled “Trifles” and written by Susan Glaspell, is a dramatic murder mystery that details the life and motives of an unseen female character vicariously through the four onstage characters.

As it takes place in 1916, the short by intriguing story also highlights the minimal importance women held in society in the early 1900s.

The second one-act play that will premiere alongside “Trifles” is a comedy entitled “Woman’s Honor,” also written by Susan Glaspell.

The play opens to a trial in which a male character – accused of committing some terrible crime – refuses to reveal his only alibi: the name of a woman he was supposedly with on the night of the murder.

In desperation, the defendant’s attorney perpetuates the story of this noble young man who would rather go to jail than taint a woman’s honor.

Without much ado, the court is full of caricatureesque women all claiming to have been with the defendant on the night of the murder and all with the same purpose: to stop the defendant from taking a public fall for a woman’s honor.

“Trifles” and “Woman’s Honor” will be showing in Olin Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 28, Friday, Mar. 1, and Saturday, Mar. 2 at 7:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Mar. 2.

The W&J Department of Theatre & Communication appreciates the community support, and hopes to see lots of familiar faces this winter!

OPINIONS 14

06 D ecember 2012

Red & Black

Staff Editorial: The Final Stretch Campus is now decked in holiday decor, and students are looking for the perfect study spaces. Finals are coming up, and the final stretch is upon us.

Students are frantically cramming for their exams, and working into the wee hours of the morning to push out those last few paragraphs of final papers. Yet for some students, finals are the culmination of a semester’s hard work.

The campus computers are even displaying signs of distress by freezing up and loading longer than usual. The one thing many of us look forward to in December is snowfall, and this year it seems to be evading us. Mother nature is drenching us in rain and 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather appears to be just as miserable as those of us ready to throw our laptops out the window in frustration.

We’re being burnt out, there is no doubt about it, but we have to push on and do our best to finish out the year strongly.

Winter break is so close. It is almost within our grasp, and we have to remember that. We have to chase that light because that is what will lead us through the darkness.

For those of us going abroad for Intersession, our vacation is extended a little longer. We’ll soon be taking bullet trains through Japan, mingling over coffee as we discuss french cuisine in France and tanning in the Caribbean.

The end’s almost near. Take a few hours off, invest in a pint of Ben & Jerry’s or your favorite comfort food and turn your brain off with some mindless reality television.

If you’re one of the lucky students with professors who decide that a three-hour final isn’t really needed or that an out-of-class final essay will suffice, count your blessings.

The rest of us envy you.

For those of us at the Red&Black, we get a nice break too. During Intersession we won’t be publishing, but we’ll be back during the spring, resuming publication in Feb. Enjoy your time off, and we’ll see you then!

Carbon Footprint, Cup Dilemma Jake Meyers Red&Black Staff When George & Tom’s decided to switch the manner in which it serves students cups, they received a flood of complaints from the student body. Many students choose to take two cups instead of one when grabbing a drink, which has been a growing concern for G&T’s.

I mean you really can’t blame them; it’s not good business to sell two products for the price of one.

I mean sure, a paper cup costs roughly three to four cents; but if say nearly every student goes to G&T’s five times a week, and a third of those students choose to grab two cups instead of one, that adds up to a wasted 2,500 cups. That would set G&T’s back about $100 a week.

Multiply this by 20 weeks for the calendar year, and that totals up to be around 50,000 cups and a wasted $2000.

That is pretty significant if you ask me. Look at the environmental impact this all has. In 2006, 6.5 million trees were cut down to make 16 billion paper cups for US consumers.

Four billion gallons of water were used to produce these cups, which resulted in a whopping 253 million pounds of waste produced.

Yes, the cups are composed of paper, but cups are composed of very little recycled material due to concerns of contamination and regulation.

Now we all know that paper comes from trees, so how much paper goes into just one paper cup?

One paper cup produces around 0.8 square feet of habitat loss.

Add in the other 49,999 cups wasted each year by this campus (if my above estimates are accurate) and that equates to 40,000 square feet, or one acre, of habitat loss.

This is just unacceptable in my opinion.

Red & Black Established 1909

Abrianne Rhoad Mina Ademovic Meghan Watelet Kara Beck Kyle Sossi Deidre Parker Tori Smith Various, tbd Alex Bernardi Jacquelin Radin Antoinette Arabia Morgan Mattingly Ted McClain Dale Lolley

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor

Production Manager

Business Manager

Campus News Editor

Life Editor Arts Opinions Sports Photography Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor

Distribution Manager Adviser

So why do students choose to grab that extra cup? To prevent their hands from getting cold. This is pathetic.

We have to realize that there are a finite amount of resources on this planet. We have moral responsibilities, and one of those is environmental stewardship.

You have a choice next time you take a drink from G&T’s, one or two cups.

Keep in mind how much is wasted when you grab that second cup, and if you can, try to bring your own water bottle.

Abrianne Rhoad/Red&Black

C ontac t

E ditorial P olic y The Red & Black is the official, registered, student-produced newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College. It is published Thursdays with the exception of exams and break periods.

Editorials are based upon the opinion of the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper, the College, nor the

views of its students, faculty or administration.

The Red & Black welcomes all reader contributions, but reserves the right to reject letters of pure promotional nature, as well as letters which do not meet its standard of integrity, accuracy and decency. The Red & Black also reserves the right to edit submissions.

Letters are due the Monday before print publication and may not exceed 600 words.

All letters must include the author’s name, campus box and telephone number. Names may be withheld upon request under certain conditions on rare occasions. All letters may be submitted to redandblackstaff@ jay.washjeff.edu.

Telephone: FAX: E-mail:

(724) 223-6049 (724) 503-1049 redandblackstaff@jay. washjeff.edu

Mailing Address:

Red & Black 60 S.Lincoln St. Washington, PA 15301

S taff Carley Adams Abbey Bashor Ashley Burk Gretchen Cline Allyse Corbin Chelsea Cummings Ashley Figlar

Alexis Geeza Alessandra Jacobs Shari Kaminski Adam Kmett Brittany Lander Jennifer Marabella Thomas Marcotte

Jake Meyers Bailey Mudrick Hla Hpone “Jack” Myint Mike Nemchick Sarah O’Donnell Alexandra Sossi Harley Straub

06 D ecember 2012

OPINIONS 15

Red & Black

Plug Pulled on Twinkies, Hostess Company Morgan Mattingly Red&Black Editor

Cup Cakes, Wonderbread—all of these products are always delicious.

I am honestly shocked that the company making these products can’t stay in business. Yes, people are more health conscious, but everyone still splurges on sweets. Anything can be fine in moderation.

Plus, movies and TV shows are constantly making reference to hostess products—for free.

A prime example is “Zombieland.” Tallahassee, one of the main characters, is obsessed with eating the last Twinkie—despite the threat of zombies/people with mad cow disease he bravely fights his way across the US to taste of the apocalyptic fruit.

It has been said that only four things will survive nuclear fallout: Twinkies, cockroaches, Cher and zombies. Now it looks like that list will not include Twinkies.

Maybe someone thought ahead a while back and placed a lot of Twinkies into a time capsule. Maybe that is on peoples’ minds right now. Since Hostess received approval to shut down on Nov. 21, people have been running to buy up all the Hostess products before they are gone.

One has to wonder if they intend to eat them now, or hoard until the “apocalypse” and end of the world come later this year.

Though in all likelihood, Hostess will sellS.the recipeSt. and name to 192 Main another company, it is hard to imagine that Twinkies (or any other Hostess product) will ever be the same.

Dearly departed, we gather here today to mourn the loss of one of earth’s most quintessential survivors—“the Twinkie.”

Hostess, the producers of Twinkies, Wonderbread and a range of other products, has begun shutting down after more than 80 years of business.

Why is this happening? In a world obsessed with “fat free” and healthy, Hostess leaders have not been able to keep up, properly market or keep up with demands of their employees’ unions. Nov. 9 marked the beginning of the end for Hostess when many of its employees in its bakers union went on strike after a court-imposed labor contract that cut wages and other benefits.

The company was already on shaky ground since it filed for bankruptcy in 2004. There is a lot of blame to go around, but it would be difficult to say what or who is actually to blame.

But where does that leave us? Twinkies were supposed to survive the zombie apocalypse. What will all the Tallahassees (of “Zombieland” fame) of the world have to live for?

I must admit, since an incident involving a Twinkie and a pickle, other Hostess products have claimed my love. Ho-Hos, orange and chocolate

OR

OR

Did You Know? * Twinkies were invented in 1930 at the beginning of the Great Depression by James A. Dewar, a plant manager at Continental Baking Company (Hostess’ parent company). * In 1995 a project called “Tests With Inorganic Noxious Kakes in Extreme Situations” (or T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S.) was performed

by Rice University scientists to determine the physical properties of a Twinkie.

WASHINGTON *

WASHINGTON

holds the title of 192“Twinkie S.Chicago Main St. Capital of the World”

for consuming more Twinkies 724-229-7717 per capita than any other city.

724-229-7717 ZA Z I P WE DELIVER G N I P P R O O T 2 S E K G C I T DELIVER LAPRIZZA EADSWE R B f G 7 DAYS A WEEK o N r I e P d P r R O o O T a 2 S d E K n G C aIt’s LARa season.

ADSaTEISfeeling.” “[Winter] isn’t E R B f 7 DAYS A WEEK vocellipizza.com o TICKS r e d S r E o E H a C d n a ICKS y Onlvocellipizza.com CHEESEST

— Edna Ferber$ ode 900 Mention c /31/2012

Expires 12

ring when orde

4 1 14

99

$ 9 9

M

n ordering e 900 whe ention cod 2012 res 12/31/

Expi

Only

© 2012 Vocelli Pizza. Limited delivery area. Delivery areas and charges may vary. Limited time offer at these participating stores. Not to be combined with other coupons or specials.

Source: neatorama.com

© 2012 Vocelli Pizza. Limited delivery area. Delivery areas and charges may vary. Limited time offer at these participating stores. Not to be combined with other coupons or specials.

OR

WA

1

724 PIZZ A W G N I P P R O O T 2 S E K L ARG DSTIC A E R B f 7D o r e and a ord KS IC voc CHEESEST ng

n orderi e 900 whe ention cod

M

/31/2012 Expires 12

OR

$

Only

14

99

WASHINGTON 192 S. Main St.

724-229-7717 OR IZZ A P WE DELIVER G N I P P R O O T 2 S GE CK Abrianne Rhoad/Red&Black

© 2012 Voc and charges ing

16 OPINIONS

06 D ecember 2012

Red & Black

Necromania, Obsession with Undead Raises Questions Thomas Marcotte Red&Black Staff One of the most fun escapist whims we have here in the early 21st century is fantasizing about the undead. If you don’t believe me, just look at our modern media. Zombies and vampires are more popular than ever, as the film “Zombieland” and the books “World War Z” and “Twilight” attest to.

Whether it’s 20something men planning for the zombie apocalypse or teenage girls squealing over the sculpted, incandescent chest (ugh) of the glittersmeared vampires from the “Twilight” franchise, there’s no escaping this never-ending barrage of living corpses in the media.

It seems like most Americans now spend most of their time alive thinking about the dead.

I’ve always preferred my movie monsters to be living creatures like werewolves, aliens or serial killers, so for a long time it was safe enough for me to ignore this growing obsession. The living dead weren’t my cup of tea.

I thought it was going to be just a passing fad we could all look back on in twenty years with mildly embarrassed nostalgia. However, I ran into something on YouTube this week which made me finally sit up and take notice. I saw a trailer for a new zombie movie coming out in 2013 called “Warm Bodies.”

According to the trailer, the film takes place in the standard post-apocalyptic world plagued by the undead, with a twist: a teenage girl falls in love with a suspiciously “Twilight”-like zombie, and they begin a relationship.

As you can imagine, that sent a few of the old alarms blaring. Just thinking about the trailer made me want to swear off the Internet forever. It made me want to bathe in bleach and holy water. It made me want to become a Satanist just to spite whatever uncaring god allowed such an affront to the natural order of things to exist. Its existence causes me physical pain on a daily basis.

And I’ll probably go see it anyway, just to laugh at it.

Hyperbolic ranting aside, this trailer made me stop and consider our obsession with the undead in a new light.

This may have started out as just another passing fad; but when it leads normally sane and sensible studio courtesy executives to green-light a film pinterest.com glorifying necrophilia, it’s time to face facts that this is a serious cultural phenomenon.

I’d even call it an obsession at this point.

So the big question is this: why are we so obsessed with vampires, zombies and other undead creatures?

My theory is it’s a way of dealing with our fears. In modern times, we seem to have a paralyzing fear of other people. We spend our lives in constant fear of being judged by others, and of them sensing that we’re different and attacking us. Everyone wants to be the last group of survivors fighting off the zombie horde, just like everyone wants to be special and different.

Our fear of other people is, I think, a huge part of the reason we have such an obsessive fear of zombies.

But that still doesn’t explain the zombie apocalypse’s creepy, maladjusted kid brother: the paranormal romance genre.

I’m not a psychology major, but does anyone else think it’s strange that we have this huge cultural obsession with both zombie apocalypse scenarios and paranormal romances like “Twilight”? Either one or the other would be sort of explainable, but having both be popular at once is just plain weird.

I don’t know what it says about this generation that we’re certain that living dead people are both the greatest threat to our survival as the dominant species on this planet, and the best possible mates and lovers we could ever desire.

I don’t know what it says about us, and I kind of don’t want to know; and please don’t tell me or I may never be able to eat again.

“Our fear of other people is, I think, a huge part of the reason we have such an obsessive fear of zombies.”

Unsurprisingly “The World is a Dangerous Place” Thomas Marcotte Red&Black Staff

The world is a dangerous place, no doubt about it. Every day we face down terrorists, freakish weather, drunk drivers, and militarized police without batting an eye.

We here in the first world like to think of ourselves as pretty safe. And for the most part we are. But the nagging question we all face is: are we prioritizing the right things?

What sorts of terribly dangerous things do we surround ourselves with every day? Well, the answers may surprise you. People get hurt in incredibly bizarre ways more often than we may wish.

One especially dangerous thing to worry about is bounce castles. These giant inflatable chambers of merriment may seem innocent, but don’t be fooled by appearances: 30 children a

day are sent to the emergency room from cuts, scrapes, broken bones, and contusions from falling out of the rubbery embrace of this kid’s party staple.

The number of children aged 17 and younger who got emergency-room treatment for bounce house injuries has climbed, too. It’s skyrocketed from fewer than 1,000 in 1995 to nearly 11,000 in 2010. Injuries have doubled just since 2008. Never leave a young child in a bounce castle unsupervised.

Speaking of rubbery embraces, the most dangerous creature in the ocean is also one of the most harmless-looking: the humble jellyfish.

In the Philippines alone, jellyfish kill around 20-40 people per year, and their stinging tentacles injure far more.

If that weren’t a degrading enough way to go out, then consider that allergic reactions to ant bites kill around 30 people a year. Of course, that ant probably also had help from the millions of

other workers in its colony, so it probably is a fair fight. Of course, the natural world isn’t the only thing that can visit pain and injury on you unexpectedly.

Enjoy your bed? You’ll be sleeping on a mattress on the floor once you discover that 1.8 million people are hospitalized every year from falling out of bed.

To put it in perspective, that’s almost four times the entire population of Wyoming.

Frequent vending machines? Be careful: between 10 and 20 people are crushed to death by them each year.

Amusement parks are dangerous, too; every year, 1 in 124,000 people suffer some sort of injury while on a rollercoaster.

Not even being single is without risks: studies show that, statistically, being unmarried can shorten a man's life by ten years.

However, on the whole, you will most likely never run into any of these dangers, as they’re very rare, statistically.

Being aware of the dangers in everyday life oftentimes helps to make sense of these inevitable vending machine, jellyfish, and bounce castle tragedies when they occur.

Stay safe out there!

“1.8 million people are hospitalized every year... .”

06 D ecember 2012

North Korean Scientists Confirm: Unicorns Real Thomas Marcotte Red&Black Staff I’m often criticized for being too cynical and grim. People are often telling me to stop complaining about the problems in our government and society and talk about a positive news story. After a great deal of reflection, I decided that they were right. Don’t worry about the slowbut-steady erosion of your civil rights and liberties.

Don’t worry about global climate change.

Don’t worry about jobs or the economy or grades. It’ll all turn out all right, because while we may be concerned now, we can rest, safe and sound in our beds, in the knowledge that unicorns are real.

How do I know this, you ask?

Well, I know that unicorns are real because North Korean (DPRK) scientists proved it—with science.

Archaeologists from the History Institute of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Academy of Social Sciences have recently “reconfirmed” the All that is good in the world, courtesy www.good.is location of the ancient lair of a unicorn supposedly ridden by the legendary, semi-mythical Korean king, Tongmyong.

These fine upstanding People’s Scientists discovered the lair of this beast located 200 meters from the Yongmyong Temple in Moran Hill, Pyongyang City. How it had lain undiscovered for so long in a temple complex in the middle of North Korea’s most populous city, I have no idea; but doubtless this is where the fine art of Juche Science comes in.

How do they know it’s a unicorn lair, you ask? Why, because a big rock with the words “Unicorn Lair” carved into it stands out in front of the cave, of course! Isn’t science incredible? The scientists believe the words date back to the Koryo Kingdom, which existed from 918 to 1392 CE. Now, what exactly is the significance of such a major find, you may ask? In short, political bragging rights. King Tongmyong ruled the kingdom of Koguryo, a powerful empire which controlled all of Korea and parts of China and Russia back in ancient times. Proving that King Tongmyong’s Magical Unicorn Stable exists, and that it was this close to Pyongyang the whole time proves that North Korea is the heir to this powerful ancient empire. You know, kind of like how because the Coliseum exists, all of Europe should become part of Italy.

If only other countries had such amazing mythology. I kind of wish America had such a colorful history, that we could all huddle around the one light-bulb in our hovels and tell stories of how George Washington was born of a virgin on a mountaintop and all the Founding Fathers rode around on Sasquatches. But alas, it is not so.

We can’t all be as interesting as North Korea.

They had unicorn-riding warrior-kings. That’s going to be tough to beat. What’s more, their old myths are more than just stories, they’re proven facts! The discoveries of these hard-working scientists continue to astound me every day.

Red & Black

OPINIONS 17

International Perspective on Presidency, American Election

“tenacious.” Such a relationship with a different administration would take time and with Romney’s unclear foreign policies, I see a big question mark next to the extent of time on U.S.’s future relations “How come the results of an American election with Myanmar and even a bigger one on how both matter so much to you when you’re not even a countries could mutually benefit from the outcome citizen and intend to leave the country once you of this political liaison. Personally, I think Romney graduate from college?”--an astonished response has a great Economic Policy for the American peofrom a friend of mine who lives down the hall as ple, better than Obama’s can ever be. he sees me paying a little too much attention to the I’ve heard and read of many flaws of the Obama debates, updates and outcomes of the 2012 U.S. administration and even Democrats themselves Presidential Elections. acknowledge it. Otherwise, why would Bill ClinThat question took us into an hour-long con- ton come out on the DNC stage and say Obama versation that night, during which I made it clear deserves a second chance and “four years is not that my support of a particular candidate would be enough time to cause Change?” totally based on how his policies would affect my Just the other day, I was in a conversation with a status as an international student for the next four Washington & Jefferson College dad about Obamyears in the U.S. and how he could benefit and help acare. Being the devoted Republican that he is, promote the reforming and development process he said, “Do you know that in the next two years, of my country. I come from Myanmar and frankly, Obamacare is going to charge citizens with 3% there is nothing I care for more more tax on their incomes? And than the political, social and you go ask every liberal politi“The beauty about economical development of my cian now, they’ll deny it and tell being in America country and my people. you (basically, lie straight to your The first thing I look at in a face) that there are to be no tax is that you can still presidential candidate is his forincreases on it whatsoever.” make your voice count, eign policy agenda and his prior As much as I am concerned one way or another.” or recent remarks on economic for my American friends, I’m and political dealings with Third afraid to say I couldn’t care less.

World Nations. So, basically I hold the opinions of Why should I be for a health care plan that what most Americans would label as an “Indepen- couldn’t benefit or be a disadvantage to me in any dent.” way possible? So, let’s say I’m done speculating my Going back to the 2008 Presidential Elections, I “political views.” What am I going to do about it? very much wanted John McCain to win, and it has At least, every American (whether they follow polinothing to do with him being a Republican or his tics or not) gets the chance to vote at the age of 18 impressive record as a war hero. and carry a weight on the outcome of the election.

It was because of the pre-existing relationship he Given that I am an international student, I can’t. had with Pro-Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi The beauty about being in America is that you can (by which time, she was still under house arrest); still make your voice count, one way or another. his interaction with Theravada Buddhist Sayadaws I decided to volunteer for the Obama campaign; (Monk Leaders) and his work, together with Sena- making calls to people and reminding them to tor Mitch McConnell to assert more international vote, knocking on doors around the Washington pressure on the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and on Area starting from as early as 8:30 in the morning Religious Freedom due to the outcomes of the 2007 and collecting addresses of those who would need Golden Color Revolution. rides to go to the voting polls on election day. AfThen came the Obama administration and as ter the election, I like to think that what I did back anticipated, it did not do much on Burmese issues then carried as much effect as one of those voters, as I believed McCain would have. It was only about if not less. more than a year ago as the Myanmar military reOne of the first things Obama did (on forgime comes to an end that Obama started send- eign policy that is) soon after he got elected was ing delegations to Myanmar, including Secretary that he visited Myanmar, reduced more economic of State Hilary Clinton, removed a number of eco- sanctions, addressed the rights of the Rohingyas nomic sanctions and for the first time in more than (the most discriminated Muslim ethnic group in 30 years appointed a U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Myanmar) directly to the Myanmar Parliament in place of the Charge’ D’ Affaires. and declared a $170 million aid package under the The relationship between the Obama Adminis- USAID program for the country’s several developtration and the newly established Myanmar Gov- ment purposes. I felt like a made the right decision ernment is at a point that could be considered in having supported the Obama campaign.

Hla Hpone “Jack” Myint Red&Black Staff

18

SPORTS Red & Black

Taylor Scores 138 points in a Single Game

courtesy gannett-cdn.com

Harley Straub Red&Black Staff Grinnell’s 5-foot-10, 170-pound sophomore basketball player, Jack Taylor, scored 138 points in Grinnell’s 179-104 win over Faith Baptist Bible on Nov. 20.

Taylor never would have expected breaking the NCAA scoring record after the weekend he had at the Wartburg Tournament, where he shot poorly.

Taylor “shot” his way out of a slump. It took Taylor 108 shots to have his named added to the NCAA record books.

In 36 minutes, Taylor made 27 of 71 three point attempts, 52 of 108 shots from the field, and seven out of ten free throw attempts. He felt that any shot would have gone in. Taylor told The Associated Press, “It felt like anything I tossed up was going in.”

Before Taylor broke the record, it was 113 points, held by Rio Grande’s Bevo Francis who scored these points in 1954. The only other player to score triple digits was Frank Selvy.

Selvy scored 100 points playing for Division I Furman against Newberry in 1954. Grinnell’s previous record was held by Griffin Lentsch who scored 89 points in Nov. 2011.

Grinnell is coached by David Arseneault.

The Pioneers are known for shooting three pointers. Some people say they shoot threes better than any other team in the country in any level. They have ranked first nationally in three point shooting for 15 out of the last 19 years. No player has ever had a night like Taylor. Taylor transferred to Grinnell after playing one season for Wisconsin La-Crosse.

During the Wartburg Tournament, Taylor only made 11 of 41 shots, only 6 of 34 three point attempts. Despite that, he still averaged 23.5 points per game.

According to Taylor, his record breaking game started off slow. Even though he was not doing as great as was expected, the coaches thought if they kept giving him the ball he would get on track.

At first, Taylor thought his poor shooting from the weekend was affecting him. “Maybe my cold shooting from the weekend was affecting me,” said Taylor. “But then they started to drop.”

At halftime, Taylor had 58 points. In the final 20 minutes, Taylor made 32 of 58 shots, including 18 three pointers. In the second half, he averaged four points a minute. Since this performance, people are expecting great things from Taylor in the remaining games in the season.

06 D ecember 2012

Houston’s Rookie Battles Anxiety Abbey Bashor Red&Black Staff

Imagine: you’re sitting in the locker room, lacing up your shoes and going over the playbook, when suddenly your chest tightens, you breathing quickens, and soon enough you’ve spiraled into a full-blow panic attack.

This kind of scenario is the daily struggle faced by Houston Rockets rookie forward, Royce White, as he battles a serious anxiety disorder.

Recently, the 21-year-old has made headlines for being at odds with The Rockets regarding the effect of his illness on playing time.

After White did not play in a recent home game against the Miami Heat, speculation arose regarding the player’s status as a current member of the Rockets.

In a later response, White stated that he had been dealing with his anxiety disorder and felt that “the Rockets have been inconsistent with their agreement to proactively create a healthy and successful relationship.”

White was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder at a young age after witnessing one of his friends collapse during a sprinting drill and accompanying him in an ambulance.

Ever since, White’s mental state has been plagued by a deep anxiety that awakes

him several times a night and that has led to a further battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

White defines his anxiety as a “day-by-day” struggle, with which he aspires to spread awareness about through his position as an NBA player.

With such a weight on his shoulders, White has needed to find a balance between his health and his profession, along with a team willing to provide such stability.

Houston’s camp, meanwhile, holds a differing opinion to justify their motives behind benching White.

The franchise considered demoting White to an NBA Development League team after he reportedly missed several unexcused practices and failed to attend the team facilities.

All of these things happen to follow Houston’s attempt to redo White’s contract by providing car services for away games, due to White’s extreme fear of flying.

The main point of contention in all of this rests in the struggle between Houston being unsatisfied with White’s performance, and White claiming that both his performance and anxiety would improve if only he were given more playing time.

The issue that remains is whether an athlete’s physical and mental development should take priority over his performance as a rookie, even when said athlete fails to honor the entirety of his contract.

courtesy abcnewsradioonline.com

06 D ecember 2012

SPORTS 19

Red & Black

Which President Has Presidential Potential?

Whom From W&J’s Athletics Corner Would Be A Successful President?

#1 Harley Straub Red&Black Staff

10. Victoria Patrick ‘14 Patrick is serious when it comes down to business, but also likes to have fun.

#2

5. Eric Kohr ‘13 Kohr is the type of person who can get along with anyone and would help anyone who needs his help.

3. Kristen Galligan ‘15 Galligan knows how to succeed and is relentless.

8. Alex Bernardi ‘14 Bernardi can overcome anything that gets in her way; no matter what it is, if she is determined and puts her mind to it.

2. Catherine Beaudoin ‘15 Beaudion is willing to step-up and take on anything that is thrown at her.

6. Zach Bellhy ‘13 Bellhy is able to bring people together and make things happen even when it is not expected.

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

4. Matthew Bliss ‘14 Bliss is a leader and has led several people through tough situations.

9. Ronny Peirish ‘14 Peirish cares about others and helps them out when they need his help.

7. Emily Abraham ‘13 Abraham has proven that she can do big things and that she is dedicated.

#3

1. Gavin Donathan ‘13 There aren’t too many people who won’t listen to Donathan if he tells them to do something.

All athletes’ photos courtesy washjeff.edu

For more information, visit washjeff.edu/athletics.

#9

#10

?

Women’s, Men’s Swimming Teams Post More Wins Brittany Lander Red&Black Staff The Washington & Jefferson College men and women’s swimming and diving team has been off to an impressive start this season.

The women’s team won their first three straight against Frostburg State, Chatham, and West Virginia Wesleyan. They only fell to Westminster but has rallied back since to beat York and place first at the Grove City Winter Invitational. They placed first out of six teams at the invitational and to-

taled 1,148 points at the meet. They blew the competition out of the water, literally.

The closest next scoring team was Wheeling Jesuit with 861. Jess Sweitzer ‘15 earned first place individually in the 100 and 200 and also helped the Presidents come out on top in 400 freestyle relay. She also swam with the 800 freestyle relay team and earned second place.

Jennifer Suder ‘15 won two diving titles that weekend. The men’s team also started out strong with wins against Frostburg State and West Virginia Wesleyan only to fall to Westminster. They won again at

York and placed third out of five teams at the Grove City Winter Invitational. They placed behind Wheeling Jesuit and Grove City and totaled 854 points on the day.

John Szott ‘13 won two diving competitions during the weekend and sophomore Mike Magdic placed first in the 100 meter backstroke and second in the 200 meter backstroke.

Armando Paolino ‘16 also had a good meet, placing second in the men’s 100 butterfly and third in the 200 butterfly. Szott and Sweitzer both won the swimmer and diver of the week for the Presidents Ath-

letic Conference. Szott is a three time First Team All-Pac choice and is attempting to win a PAC title before graduation. He won both events earlier this season at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational.

The Presidents swimming and diving team along with head coach Mike Orstein will take a small break from now until Jan. 9th when they will compete at Bethany.

They will then be back at home Jan. 12 to host Grove City. The PAC championships are from Feb. 13 to Feb. 16 and the NCAA Division III Championships will occur a little over a month later March 20-23.

20

06 D ecember 2012

SPORTS Women’s Basketball Beats Rival Westminster Red & Black

Courtesy washjeff.edu

Courtesy washjeff.edu

nior Emily Abraham knotted the game. Dunlap collected an offensive rebound and put back to put W&J in front 50-48 but a pair of free throws from Gilmore on the Titans’ next possession tied the game once again.

Junior, Chelsea Apke, provided the answer for the Presidents with Valerie Dunlap, the sophomore center, helped assist the Washington back-to-back layups to put W&J ahead by four points. & Jefferson College women’s basketball team to a victory when she The second basket came with nine seconds left after receiving a scored 15 of her game-high 17 points during the second half as the handoff from Dunlap on a perfectly executed in-bounds play. women’s basketball team rallied for a 56-51 victory over WestminAfter a Westminster turnover with 10 seconds left, Mikelonis sealed ster in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference opener for both teams last the game with a pair of free throws.

Wednesday night at the Henry Memorial Center.

In addition to her 17 points, Dunlap pulled down The women’s ninth-year Head Coach, Jina a game-best 14 rebounds and recorded a pair of DeRubbo, quoted in an interview before preseason, “No one put more work in blocks.

“No one put more work in this summer than ValAbraham netted nine points off the bench, while this summer than Valerie Apke erie and I am really excited to see that hard work tallied nine points and eight rebounds. and I am really excited to pay off for her,” said DeRubbo emphatically.

W&J shot 35 percent (21-59) from the field during “She got stronger and worked on her offense. see that hard work pay off the game and held a 46-27 advantage on the boards.

Valerie is a great rebounder and her presence on Whereas the Titans, who were led by 10 points from for her.” both offense and defense will benefit us greatly.”

Sophomore Jenna Grandy, shot 36 percent (19-52).

— Coach DeRubbo And in the game against the Titans, she proved Despite losing to the Red Hawks a week ago, all of this hard work. which was the W&J women’s first loss, they had a Dunlap connected on 5-of-6 shots from both the major win over the Titans which they needed for field and the free-throw line during the final 20 minutes to help lead their first PAC win. the Presidents to a record of 4-1.

They are hoping to win the game against their next conference W&J won its conference opener for a third consecutive season. competitor Thiel.

Westminster, who now has a record of 1-4, scored the game’s first The coach is very confident with the team this season, “Our players five points and maintained its lead throughout the entire first half. are in a great mindset right now, but there will be a little bit of a learnSenior guard, Danielle Gilmore, gave the Titans a 25-20 edge after ing curve with the addition of Chelsea Apek (a second-year transfer 20 minutes with a driving layup as time expired. from NCAA Division I Presbyterian College, sat out last season beDunlap scored the Presidents’ first six points of the second quarter cause of injury) and the freshmen to the rotation. to cut Westminster’s advantage to one and gave W&J its first lead of The more games we play, the better we are going to be once the the game at the 15:41 mark with a jumper off the glass. conference schedule gets underway.”

The Titans rallied with an 11-4 run during the next five minutes And with their first conference game as a win the team is proving before back-to-back baskets by freshman Ashley Mikelonis and se- they are ready for any challenge.

Courtesy washjeff.edu

Bailey Mudrick Red&Black Staff

Read the Red&Black online! issuu.com/ rednblackwj

Compatible with * Smart phones *Desktops *Tablets